2023 Week 12 Recap

The Around the NFL podcast.

More entertaining than the NFC South from.

The Chris Westling podcast studio. It's Around the NFL. I am Dan Hansis and I have heroes here. On the Flagship Program, Week twelve edition. Greg Rosenthal, Mark Sessler, how.

Are you guys feeling good? The season has begun. We're after Thanksgiving.

That's what they started. It's here. It started well. I would say we're more successful than the NFC South.

Yes, that's it. Were better.

I think we can make plays in the NFC South person, I think we could hit a couple holes, make a couple of catches, like I can do what Kyle Pitts does. Two for twelve every week.

No problem. You know, it was a problem.

For the first time since we've been doing this on a Sunday, this happened.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, this is a first in my twenty something year broadcasting career. We have an alarm going off in the studios of NFL Red Zone right now in our studios here in Inglewood, California, we are being told we need to evacuate the building. We do not know the nature of the emergency. You can probably hear the alarm going right over the top of my right shoulder here, as it is something absolutely unprecedented for us. We have this game on the closest game, the Philadelphia

We are all good right now. We're remaining calm, but we.

Are following protocols as I'm sure you all would at your places of work, so Tucky continued, hopefully, although this game is in the fourth quarter, I can come back and give you a live update if.

Thank you, Scott, that happened.

It was a fire drill, and everybody should know that we're okay, We're safe.

Wait did he just suggest that we would be doing the same thing that the other would be doing it their places of work if fire alarms went off in those places. Amazing.

I thought it was good for team morale. We used to have fire alarms all the time over at our coman.

God forsaken building.

I think it was built on an ancient Indian burial, old ye Pall Center.

It was a weekly and it was a nice time to see your coworkers. This was a little different because we were going out into the parking lot where the Chargers and Ravens Sunday night football game, the fans were getting ready for it, and it smelled like old Qualcomm out there. The weed was a little bit.

Of a funk in the air, and then a mixture with the sausage and the peppers and the onions and it just cooking all around us. Reminded you of what we have sacrificed to be here in the studio all these years.

And yet and everyone on their phone watching the game, and yet.

Us going outside that building when there's a seventy thousand fans streaming in without our bodyguards also major security risk for us, but we were okay with that as well, and in the end everything worked out.

I still don't know what the issue was, but.

The issue feels mildly faked meal though. If fire truck did pull up at one point, I think costs about twenty thousand dollars for the company when that happens.

How about the old Trojan horse where the fire truck pulls up and then a bunch of like firefighters go in, but they're not really firefighters.

One of those deals.

Oh that's a shore like a water Gate operation.

We're not safe right now? Right? Fun? Not so fun? Is all this happening during one of the games of the year.

Eagles Bills were able to kind of stay with the game on our iPhones and whatnot, But when we got back in the building, it was chaos on that field with some dramatics and yes, yet another Billy victor.

First ten at the twelve, Perks and the gun Swift COEs in motion.

Perks on a quarterback draw, he's at the five, he's in touchdown.

Eagles at my hurts? Does are you killing me?

Are you kidding me?

He's amazing.

No, there's a party that Liga Financial Field.

At theles of ten and one.

I want to win, You're wins.

You're all invited. There's a part here at Lica Financial Field. Oh the bongos to the Eagles.

A little bit of a bounce back from producer Eric after last week.

Kind of noble of Eric. He's a Bills fan in.

Right, bowing his head and saying, I dishonored the bongos last week, and to show you how important they are, I'm going to hand them out to the team that maybe just ended my team season.

That's pretty good producer Eric.

At job bigger than sports, guys at jobs bigger than sports.

There is the call from Eagles Radio and it was dramatic indeed, because the Eagles, once again trailing at halftime, find a way getting a fifty nine yard field goal from their gifted kicker, and then Jake Elliott, and then after giving up a field goal in overtime, and then very near touchdown by the Bills, and a little bit of a miscommunication between Josh Allen and his receiver, Eagles take the ball, go right down the field and yes, Jalen Hurts moves the Eagles to ten and one.

Drama. What a game.

This is just one of the best games of the season and one of the most confounding teams I can think of, because you give them all the credit in the world for finding a way to win each one of these games. But they're the rich Man Steelers right now. They have been out gained by at least one hundred yards, not just outgained, outgained by at least one hundred yards in four straight games, and they found a way in each one. And it's a heartbreaker for the Bills because

Wow.

I mean the first half by Allen and Buffalo's defense was it, Jase. It gave me signals and ideas that this was the game that Bills fans were waiting for, and it just did not complete. I think of little moments like the James Cook drop on what would have been a very clear touchdown early no points on that. There was the moment where Hassan Reddick absolutely launched Josh Allen to the ground, ripped his jersey. It looked like a horse caller. Uh, they don't get that call. Instead

The Bills having winning time of possession of this game had over.

For reminder that the Ravens and Chargers game is coming up at eight twenty two Eastern on NBC.

Thank you, Jim.

The time of possession forty minutes and thirty seconds in favor of the Bills. Total plays ninety two to sixty five,

Okay, even after the miscommunication, make a play. You need to make a play.

You need to recover a fumble, you need to have an interception, you need von Miller stops spinning around near the line of scrimmage.

You need to get a sack and be the closer.

Again, they could not make a play, and that's why their season is in great peril.

Net it's on the brink. They have a buy, then they have the Chiefs. After that. I you know, Greg, I know one thing true of your nuts, and I'm with you that after Jake Elliott made that fifty nine yard field goal, the Bills had time a little bit of time where they could have at least taken a shot down field to try to return and answer on their own. And they don't.

They don't even do anything. They had twenty seconds. You're the Buffalo Bills. Your best chance to ever win the Super Bowl was ended by a drive shorter than twenty seconds. Like you had a time out, you also used one of your timeouts to supposedly ice Jake Ellie.

You're not gonna ice him. He's in the rain. That gave him more power. He may not have make it if you didn't nice. Let's see.

Let's hear that call, by the way, from Merril Reeves Jake Elliott in the rain in late November in Philadelphia. I mean, these kickers are better than ever and the Kickers Club is gonna be hopping tonight for Jake Elliott.

Let's hear that call.

He swings the leg with the same speed whether it's an extra point or sixty order.

Let's see what he does here.

Hold your breath, ball a spot, the kick is away, and.

The kick is that's going over Tom.

He is amazing, He amazing.

What a kicker.

Now, that's one of the all time kicks.

I mean it's not gonna top you know Vinitari's one in the in the snow and regulation against the Raiders. But that is since we've been doing this show one of the most impressive kicks I've seen to do it in that spot and also have the knowledge that on the other side of the ball is Tyler Bass, Who's you know, a good kicker. I would say a top ten kicker usually has a kick blocked in this rain, hooks a kick in this rain, and I'm thinking, man, this is tough conditions to be kicking in.

And Elliott pipes it from fifty nine.

It would have been good from sixty and it just like so many one players would have changed the result potentially of this game. And you can always go back and do that. But ultimately, like the Eagles, best players made huge plays when it mattered, and Jake Elliott is one of those. Because for everything that you said, yep, Dan about them, you know, being a little too conflict, I I hear you that joeyaln Hurts was incredible, Like

Play to catch that touchdown right.

But the reality is, if Elliott doesn't hit that fifty nine yarder. The last sequence from the Eagles was, you know, one of their best players, Kelsey, having a penalty hurts them actually making pretty good pressure and hurts getting rid of the ball, almost fumbling it, but he got rid of the ball first and fifteen.

Then they run the ball, kind of waste some time.

Then another penalty on Kelsey, and then aj Brown catches a ball that almost was a fumble incomplete on third down, right right call, but like things could have changed, and if he catches that, they would have had a fire drill to have to try to kick that thing. And they're third and set, fourth and seventeen there because they didn't execute offensively. But that's what this Eagles team is about. Even though the defense was not good on this day, they made just enough plays too.

I was referring greg though to uh at the point getting once it got to the other side of the fifty, Okay, then they why it just didn't think didn't see they were.

Trying to that time off the clock, and it didn't work that At.

One point though, the Bills were almost perfect on third and long, it was like they kept getting out of jam, getting into jams and getting out of them too, and it really came down to just like a handful of plays in this thing. I mean, it's like it looked in the first half to me like the rain and the terrible weather was affecting one team and not the other, and that was it was like I was surprised that that was Philadelphia, that it was affecting and then they come climbing back into it.

Yeah, there were a couple of miscommunications too, and like there there was another throat that Alan Allen's receivers sold them out. They they were close so many times. We should point out the Eagles got bad news before this game. Lane Johnson didn't suit up, which is extremely rare.

Uh.

Then Fusher Cox left in the middle of this game.

M hmm.

Jalen Carter was going in and out. So they they found way despite those injuries.

Yeah, and again another reminder that the Ravens and Chargers game is coming up at eight twenty two Eastern on NBC.

Thank you.

As a group, Yes, we were equally mystified why that announcement was made. I say, buckly twelve to thirteen times.

We we've we surmised that it had something to do with the game running late and the agreement in place with the Sunday night football coverage on NBC, and yet it didn't stop being annoying it.

I think it was annoying to Nance after a point too, the skift happens.

You cannot, Oh my god, you cannot lose that game, Buffalo.

No, that's and yet it's a killer.

And yet I have love for you Bills fans because in the back of my mind, I'm like, Josh Allen's gonna win this game.

He had, He's playing so great, But somehow.

They find a way. They're an organization, They're one of those teams starcross teams. They always seem to find a way in the round.

How high the pressure is dialed up when they come out of their by with Kansas City and Dallas and back to back game, so.

Right, they had to have this game. I think their season's over.

I don't think it's over because I think we saw tonight. You know how good they can be offensively, and I think they can be better defensively than this.

They didn't close the game.

But I do agree that the specter of both these teams schedule is hanging over this game. Because Philly's got San Francisco in Dallas next and if they had lost this game, it would have felt like, oh wow, suddenly the Eagles are actually in a little bit of trouble. But they just don't let that happen. It's amazing, and they get a little lucky. I mean, I had to have it missfield goals on the other side, is a little lucky that them making a mistake offensively is a little lucky.

All right, here we go save that because on NFL Plus tomorrow, Greg, we're gonna talk this game as well.

Bill's Eagles just start.

We'll say all different things tomorrow.

All right, let's head to another great ending, this one in Houston.

From the left hash from fifty eight yards away, Matt Ammndola trullid, Maddie.

Johnson puts it down. There's the kick, the fifty eight yard field goal. Is it hits the crossbar? It is no It hit the crossbar and came back.

The field goal is no good and.

The Jags takeover.

It'll take a knee one time.

Wow, great call by Frank Franzi. W O kV. It was that close.

Ramon Doolan the Texans, but it is the Jacksonville Jaguars who come out on top twenty four to twenty one in a matchup between two young star quarterbacks from the AFC South. It was Trevor Lawrence who had the big day here three hundred and sixty four yards added a touchdown. And I don't know if that's changed since the final, but out of nowhere, Greg, the Jags were the number one seed in AFC after this win.

Is that still where they stand?

That is not where they stand by tiebreaker because of the Chiefs, But it's a way a four way tie as we're taping, but a three way tie really Chiefs in Miami.

And this game had had everything.

It had what felt like almost a clinching win here for the AFC South for the Jaguars, going up to with five to play is massive. The quarterback play, for the most part, was fantastic. There was some really questionable play calls by both sides, just ones that didn't work out. Doug Peterson going for and all or nothing touchdown on the last play of the first half that didn't work out.

That puts him in a long yarded situation.

They have a couple incompletions and then they have to go for this long field goal, and it just felt like CJ. Stroud was in like I'm gonna go back there and make a play mode, and they had a lot of plays go against him. It was a terrible officiating game, but he couldn't make the plays. Ultimately, on those two long yarded situations, they don't get it, and the Jaguars are probably gonna be your AFC South champions.

And their defense is one of the unpredicted surprises of the entire campaign. And I mean Josh Allen seems to do this all the time, and Stroud has been a masterful quarterback late in games with his game winning drives, and it's like I was watching the Sudie Gar I had the feeling like, oh, they're not going to be denied, and like something about the Texans feel inevitable with Stroud and instead like their defense. Jacksonville's defense completely stood up and did his job.

One of those games where like c J.

Stroud hit a fifty eight yard or early to Tank Dell that was called back on a totally bogus illegal shit. I thought Row was insane, totally insane, and it reminded me of the touchdown he had a Dell a week ago. And it just started like a cavalcade of bad calls.

I mean totally can see they split their head to head matchups, right, So we have that a two game lead with what six to play, where we had now one, two, three, four five, Yeah, six to play, So they have a shot. Obviously, the Texans still take this division. I don't trust the Jacks still. However, I think we should point out because we did have some conversations about Lawrence that that this

He's been the story. I mean, there is a huge matchup looming next week between the Broncos and Texans, but I kind of like the Texans schedule in general. They've got the Jets and the Titans after that. I think they're like absolutely wild card worthy and some weird stuff is happening in the AFC in general. But we'll see about the division.

That their total lack of a threat of running killed them in this game. They like refuse to run it on third and one, fourth and one. Singletary got most of the stats, even though Damian Pierce was back, but they combined for thirty two yards on eleven carries.

CJ.

Stroud was their leading rusher, also at a rushing touchdown. Like they are a little limited, and there were moments in this game I thought Lawrence played a good game, but I thought it was a great game plan by the Jaguars because there were wide open receivers multiple times, kind of on busts, just on like swing passes, they're tight end rumbled for a forty seven yard play, like Kirk was wide open right before the half for a

Trevor Lawrence, C. J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, who obviously had a promising rookie season cut short by injury. There are some there's some good young talent in this division, and Trevor Lawrence doesn't like it.

I want the teams in our division to be as bad as possible, So no, I'm not. That's how I see it, And the way they're playing it's exciting. Yes, there's gonna be some I'm sure some great matchups down the road, and CJ's playing, He's playing lights out. He's doing a great job. I mean, to be a rookie and to play how he is. I got a lot of respect for him. I know that, I know how hard it is. You know, I've been in that position. So he's doing a great job and it's gonna be

But you know what I like about him, Like you got these quarterbacks coming out in like four thousand dollars three piece suits. He's like in a dented hoodie and like an orange hat with his long hair hanger.

That made me think of him saying I prefer that the division sucks. I don't know if you guys caught it, which I agree, i'd be the same with. I don't know if you caught Alex Smith on the ESPN this morning, ethering everyone at the DAIS. They were having a conversation about Tom Brady's comments that the league feels watered down and the play is not at a high level. And Alex Smith was like, whoa, stop the clocks here, Tom, you played in the AFC East and that is that

I mean, I think Tom Brady's overall point is well conceived.

Is Alex Smith? Yeah?

Yeah, But it's also the most cliche thing, like lazy thing for an old ex player that's really not paying that close attention to the game to say. And Alex Smith is lazy too. Because the Patriots, I love throw this one. I had a higher winning percentage against the rest of the league than they did and then their own division throughout their run.

How about that?

Like that sounds like a Greg fact. Can we check that one? You know, some of these Willing Hilly facts are thrown out lately. It's true his winning percentage was higher outside the AFC's.

They were both were extremely high. I was like six sixty whatever it was. They were basically the same. But they were slightly.

Better on a data dive on that.

Yeah, they were slightly better outside the division.

You know, those Dolphins gave them troubles down and they dominated everyone.

Was the point.

It's not like anyone outside the division was doing any better whatever.

All right, next, Rashid in motion, here's car now wants to throw in or sept he's got great grass forty fifty forty.

Twenty straded out Jesse touch.

Down Atlanta.

And New Orleans commits their first ret zone turnover of.

The year, and it wouldn't be their last.

On Sunday, the call there West Durham w ZGC.

Good call.

Derek Carr threw a pick six, Taysom Hill later lost to fumble at the ten yard line, and the Falcons, opportunistically on defense keep themselves in the game.

On the same day that Desmond.

Ritter was doing his usual high wire act that included falling off a few times. But in the end, a Ridder touchdown passed the Bijon Robinson gave Atlanta breathing room, and they held on for a twenty four to fifteen win over the Saints, a win that puts the Falcons into a tie in first place. With the Saints at five and six. That tells you a lot about what you need to know about the NFC South. It's not good.

Yeah. I mean, this is your concern about the Derek Carr experience in general, because you're going to get some highs. He's a tough player, but the lows are going to cost you. They were zero for five in the red zone today in general, and I guess from a Falcons angle, you know, we've waited for a game like this, which seems to be more the blueprint that they were hoping for, with two hundred and twenty eight yards on the ground,

Yeah, I mean.

You have to Arthur Smith has been under fire for this whole season, and I don't think that's going to change after this game. But they did seem to finally understand a few things, making sure to get Bije on the ball, who went over one hundred total yards and had two touchdowns in this game.

It needs to drive through him.

Enough of this silly business about all we want to keep him fresh. It's late November, it's time. They also kind of de emphasized Tyler Algier. They gave Quarterell Patterson some work and they found a nice balance because Patterson did some work in this game, Bijeon made his plays, and then when it was time to close out the game in the fourth quarter, it was Algier who had some tough runs that helped chew up the clock and

In fact, I believe they punted once.

One hundred and forty four total yards. Right, Falcons defens has not been playing well in general.

So they were kind of going up and down the field until they got into the red zone. And I guess, on the subject not accusing you guys of this, but on the subject of laziness, it's I think it's very easy to just point a Car and be like he's the reason. But then you watch the games and you see what a team effort it is. It's rahiit Shahi dropping a ball at the goal line. It's Car obviously throwing a bad pick six to Jesse Bates, and then it's Taysom Hill trying too hard to get extra yardage

Here's Dennis Allen on his quarterback, some some good and some bad.

You know, you know, obviously I got to go back and look at the interception to see exactly what happened on that look I knew Bates was a really good player, and it's not the first time he's made it play like that. So I thought there were some plays that that that Derek made, and I think there were some plays that you know, we'd like to have back.

And I agree with that assessment, and you could and and it's it's fair that Carr needs to be better and maybe this is just who he is, but it's a very frustrating watch.

Well.

His defense is a total disappointment. The only difference with the Falcons running attack today, it's not like they gave it more to Bizon really or anything. It's just like they were good at it. They've been bad at it all year. They haven't been getting a consistent push on their offensive line, they haven't been getting consistent yardage. And whoever was running the ball back there got it done. And so if you're getting pushed around defensively, that's not

I don't think anyone people.

Aren't thrilled with Derek Carr, but they're I think the anger is mostly focused at Dennis Allen.

Yeah, I think they've wanted Dennis Allen gone since last season.

A cents they got that.

I think it's interesting also that like and again, I think Carr is one of those guys. Some guys struggle, and it's seemed globally like what's wrong with this offense? For some reason, sometimes I feel like he becomes just the guy everybody points to.

It's the eye test, but to me is the ultimate eye test guy that that like, he's he's a frustrating watch.

I agree with that frustrates me endless, Like, but why don't we why aren't we hearing things about their play calling in the red zone?

I mean, yeah, Pete Carmichael didn't even want to be quarterback?

Is there a car That's that's my point. He is a lightning rod, That's all I'm saying.

Car is too heavily scapegoaded because other quarterbacks around the league right now are playing at no higher level. But there's something about the Derek Carr like experience. I think a lot of it is early on his career. You could shape his performances statistically to the picture of a better quarterback than he seems to be when you're watching him.

And Carmichael has been take you know, locally, I don't know, you know, I'm locked into the Saints coverage, but like they're they're tired of everything about this team. But Carmichael takes a ton of heat this year locally. He's not someone who obviously is getting much attention astally.

The crazy in this division.

I mean, podcasts are free, freely available, the websites are available.

You check it out.

But you are going to be dragged through this because it's like none of this is going anywhere. They're both five and six, The Bucks are four and four, four wins on the season, and like this this is gonna be a crawl to the finish, and there's gonna be more of these days and like, you're not gonna be like led out of this.

They're gonna be in it to the end. All these teams, one of.

Them is gonna be the fourth seed. I mean, that's at an outrage.

Shout out to Honey Badger, who had two picks in this game and Jesse Bates, who I said had we heard had the pick six and also had the punch out on Taysom Hill. It's a two point game at that point with the Saints poised to take the lead.

I believe it was the fourth quarter.

Uh, and he punches that ball out and that was as close as the Saints came in this game.

So a huge win for the Falcons.

Ridder, I'll let me just say Ritter also played another Ritter esque game in that about deep into the second quarter, you're saying, oh, wow, he's having his best game. Then he has a miserable red zone interception, throws another bad pick and this just is just this, like this y yin and yang with him.

I don't think he's a.

At this point a playoff quarterback, but you can understand why Arthur Smith is going to stick with them moving forward, all right, up next, we roll on to Cincinnati, where the Steelers got to face a Joe Burrow free Cincinnati team desperate for a win.

Bengals third and three empty the set from there thirty two. They're two for eight on third downs a trio thirteen to seven. Brownie pinches the left receiver, big rush, he is crist fight.

TJ. Watt? What what was that? A freak train? No? It was number ninety.

Wow is about all you can say?

Was here? Was he blocked there?

Not by a functioning human?

Oh?

Wow? All right? So TJ.

Watt with a crushing hit on Jake Brown in one of several big plays by the Pittsburgh defense in a sixteen to ten win over the Bengals. Pittsburgh now seven and four, and there they are, the Bengals with ol Joe Burrow, five and six and winless in their division.

It all adds up to very bad news in Cincy.

But for Pittsburgh, mark progress another win, and also the offense did something today that they had never done under the previous offensive coordinator of Matt Cande.

Yeah, it was a Joe Burrow free game for the Steelers, but a Matt Canada free game also for the Steelers and incomes Mike Sullivan, longtime NFL assistant, to call the plays, and for the first time in forty fifty eight games, they cracked four hundred yards and give them some applause. Deserve it.

We were like knee deep in the pandemic season when the last time year, I mean.

Week two of twenty twenty, how much must it suck?

Early showing legitimate empathy here for Matt Canada, who maybe wasn't great at his job in Pittsburgh, but he's probably a little down on the dump sitting on the couch watching the games and did fifty eight games as their OC I believe the number was, and never got four hundred two. Immediately watched the team that just fired him cross that threshold. You gotta have some second thoughts about some decisions you've made.

Yeah, like, had it come three weeks from now, it would feel and look days out immediately.

He's probably also a little salty that, like, they had the hardest schedule in the league by far for offenses, in terms of opposing defenses, and then they played the team that's giving up the most explosive plays in the league and can't stop anyone on the ground late in game. Then again, the Steelers only scored sixteen points, which is, oh yeah, so that's the thing.

Like it from a yardage standpoint, I thought Pickett played a pretty good game. You know, he's actually snapped the Steelers franchise record for contexts and consecutive passes without an interception, so he's not giving the ball away. There were more big shots downfield. Uh, Pat Fryarmuth made a huge difference. He had one hundred and twenty yards off nine catches. I mean, he was or of the of the offense Najie Harris ninety nine yards and a touchdown. And then

Yeah, the defensive you know, issues have been there. You know, they're zero to four in the division, they're one and six in the conference now. A lot of those games, obviously most of them are with Joe Burrow, so they had issues. But it's depressing to feel like the Bengals at five and six are already basically out of our lives for the season.

Zach Taylor.

You know, I gotta bring up Zach Taylor a little bit.

Four and twenty in starts without Joe Burrow as.

Bengals, Well, and it looked like it today and part of it Bill Delchick and starts without Tom Brady there, four and fifty.

Well, during those during that stretch, and they were they were great, right, They went three and one with Jimmy g and Jeoey Brissett went eleven and five with Matt Castle. That during that stretch they were great.

They look doomed because if you're gonna have Jake Browning, to the truth, you gotta be able to like.

I'm just saying, you can't go after Zach Taylor.

Yes, in that way when I'm just my point is they're probably not gonna be winning.

Of course, they're gonna suck without Joe Burrow.

Yeah, come on, well, yeah, I mean, you know, I predicted before the season that the Steelers would have twelve wins. If they accomplish that, it will be done in the most milk toast fashion possible, because I.

Know it's maybe they'll get better.

I mean, their defense is legit. I I think it's encouraging what they did on offense, but I don't I need to see it weeks in a row to buy into it.

I'm kind of The division is a little bit of a bummer from where it was a month ago because Cleveland and we'll talk about them later, is just kind of a mess now because their quarterback position. The Bengals are more or less out of it as we know, Pittsburgh is even with this game. It's so it's not like it's like pinch me watching this offense. And then you have the Ravens.

Of course they're hanging around though. Seven and four, yep, anything else.

I have something, guys, if we're going to go and we got a break here, a little bit of housekeeping, yes, you know, coming in a phrase. Bill's got on another end of a bad loss here. The Cincinnati Zoo locked up Eagles. That's right, that was a big win for.

The Cincinnati this week.

Yeah, wait to bring that up, But that's good because he would have had a conspiracy theory if we forgot.

I don't want to get too far down the road. And then I forgot at the circle.

Back doubly annoyed watching the end of that game.

I gotta say, the zoo with the zoo keeper, Nick Wrestling got the magic touch.

Three.

It's not over, Greg, not not at all.

And think of these late wins he had the Eagles last week too.

With these late I mean we did eradicate the entire competition.

He's it's a great, incredible start.

Canceled the competition for Nick.

All right, let's take a break and then we will bring in another Nick. All right, we are back and it is time now for the Sunday Drive, presented by the first ever Toyota Grand Highlander. Led us head to Denver, where the resurgent Broncos look to keep it up against the Brownies.

Second down goal from the two Javonte Williams to the right of.

Russell, two receivers on each side of the set.

He brings MEM's emotion. He keeps it again, running to the right side Wilson leaps into the end zone, touchdown. Denver three quarterback keeps on this drive Wilson from three yards out.

Are you kidding me?

Are we looking at thirty four year old Russell Wilson or twenty four year old Russell Wilson.

Oh, David Logan with a call he didn't like that. Russell Wilson ran.

For a touchdown and threw a touchdown pass and that was kind of a vintage Russ throw later in the game, giving the Broncos the extra cushion in a twenty nine to twelve win over the Browns. Let's welcome in the pipe, Nick Shook, and Nick, you had a Browns team here that is struggling at the quarterback position and a Denver team that cannot stop winning all of a sudden. This is one of the more surprising developments of the season.

We are witnessing an absolute attitude shift in Denver.

Guys.

This is a team that started one to five and got a you know, seventy burger dropping them by Miami.

They look like a team that had no life.

Sean Payton was a disaster.

Russell Wilson was over the hill, and all a sudden, they started winning some games, key'd mostly by their defense, But now it's all coming into form. Now if you look at the stats, you'll think, well, Russell didn't didn't really do that much. We didn't have to do that much. I mean, the defense played really well for the most part.

The Broncos. They matter, and they play like that matter. It's fun.

Yeah, this was a great coaching job by Sean Payton. They talked about coming into the game wanting to remove Miles Garrett, who was ineffective in this game and then could not lift his left arm for the most of the second half. Oh no, no, see what's going on there? It did not look good to me. They came in the Browns without Denzel Ward, who I think is a huge part of this Jim Schwartz defense, No Anthony Walker and Denver you know, showing zero fear about the Cleveland

PJ.

Walker comes in and for both of these quarterbacks, I thought that tell tell me if you thought Kevin Stefanski did some weird stuff in this game, they got way too cute. They didn't stick with what was working, which I thought they ran the ball pretty well early, they got away from it to all these sort of trick plays.

Yeah, they actually had a chance to put together a comeback before dtr got hurt and even after he got knocked out of the game. That's where the two sides of Kevin Stefanci's coin really came into play. Because you know, Greg has talked about this, and I totally agree that Kevin Stefanski has done a great job of coaching them in certain situations and getting guys open, especially with everything

Here would be because we're seeing it at the Metal Lands right now too. My concern about the Browns mark you do you agree that as good as the defense is, if the offense is going to be stuck in mud, it's going to be a lot of three and outs or just a bad field position, and you're going to continue to put the d into difficult situations and eventually the damn cracks when you keep doing that. The offense needs to be more giving them more right now.

Yeah, it reminds me of the loss to Baltimore. It's the worst possible situation for Cleveland that this is what it is going forward to. And I think you get to a point where the injuries have mounted. Like I mentioned, no Denzil Board and we'll see what happens with him. Amari Cooper went out of this game. I'm really concerned

Well and to your point like teams will see that and a couple of times that the Browns defense hasn't looked great, it's because of.

The run defense.

I'm not going to put them giving up one hundred yards rushing in the first half on their quarterback. So it's so hard for a defense to be that dominant every single week. You're gonna need some weeks for your offense to pick him up. And I can't expect the Broncos defense to stay this good because it's just a little crazy. But since that Jets game that was where I know they lost the next week on Thursday Night Football to the Chiefs, but that game was actually, you know,

That's pretty outrageous.

Like, yeah, Sean Payton's doing a great job and they're limiting mistakes and they're really playing complimentary. But Vance Joseph's like, got this group playing great. It's pretty crazy.

We uh, six weeks ago, I think it was work the Denver BRONCX whoops sailed who have now won five.

Games in a row. So keep an eye on again the bottom of these guys.

That a record for us, like for someone to like, don't I don't actually think they are in the playoffs as of today, just because of tiebreakers, right like that for the quickest for a team to get back in. It's a problem position that after getting forged, But you.

Gotta you gotta give them credit because like Nick said, and we got to move on. But to start the season the way they did, and that with that historic seventy burd you're.

Like to now be on a five game winning streak and be right in the mix.

Uh.

Credit to everyone involved there, and let's see if they keep it up. And that was the Sunday Drive presented by Toyota Let's Go places learn more at Toyota dot com. Slash Grand Highlander. Speaking of teams on a streak, remember the Colts were like, oh, the Colts are back there.

The recovery by Tyo at tang Bo and a strip sack by steps.

That someone's been drinking, like gets home tonight from the flay his wife, It's like, how is the game con com gone?

Yes, that was Matt Taylor, but he was an Ebicon guy.

Ebcom evercom guy is Rick Van Terri.

I believe, oh ex coach ebcom. Yes, it was another win for the Colts. Jonathan Taylor two touchdowns and the defense comes up with a late turnover in a twenty seven twenty win over the Bucks. So yes, that's three wins in a row for Indy now six and five show.

Yeah, you know, Gardner Minshew doesn't give you a high ceiling, right, But the most important thing that he should do is not hurt you. And he threw a pick today, but he also had a rushing touchdown and he did what he's done for most of these games, which is key completions in certain situations, struggles on third down, but keeps them afloat. And in this type of matchup, it was the defense's game to win. And what did they win it. They picked off Baker Mayfield after he came back from

They turned that into a touchdown.

They sacked Baker a number of times, They pressure him fourteen times, they get after him, and even after Rashad White ran fifteen times for one hundred yards, the Buccaneers still couldn't piece together enough consistent offensive production to get back into this game. Now, credit to them, they did

Able to get out of their own way.

And it's another loss that is all too familiar for Buccaneers fans right now. You get both sides, like I said, you get both sides of the Kevin Stefanski's coin. You get both sides of the Baker Mayfield coin, which is gritty, tough, gonna go all the way to the end and give you everything he's got, but he's also gonna make a few errors and if they're in crucial spots, they'll probably lose you a game.

And that's definitely what happened today.

Yeah, we talked about Derek Carr being a frustrating watch far too often, but I think Mayfield fits into the same sort of category where you got like the heightened good of him today because every one of these games he'll like rumble for a first down on third and long, and it's kind of like he jazz is up the team and you can see what you like about him, and it'll convert a couple of big throws to Godwin

Yeah.

I think when you were out, Mark, I had talked about like I enjoyed watching Baker this year in a way that's been different than past years. It feels like he's like in a nice spot and a little little under the radar and these ups and downs of his career, but like you're saying, there's there's always going to be moments where he's who he is, both good and bad. And I think it's gotten a beat and they've gotten

I mean the Bucks were three and one's it's not been a good six seven weeks.

Here, No, and Devin White is kind of having the opposite contract year season. Let's say what Antoine Winfield is on his own team. I think Winfield is an All Pro candidate. Devin White. Every week you watch, you see him getting beat for big plays, for touchdowns. A couple touchdowns in this game, I think he missed Levante David And then on the other side, another free agent, Michael Pittman ten for one oh seven. He's on pace for

Yeah, but he's an interesting guy and almost like you got to make sure he goes to the right team for that.

But here's the thing. He's surrounded by nothing.

He's had a terrible quarterback situation and all he does is produced that's extremely valuable. Even if you're the twentieth best ride receiver in the league, like, that's worth twenty million dollars a year.

It doesn't matter if you're not a one.

Yeah, and you got to think about the fact that this is still Anthony Richardson's team starting next season and you don't start stripping talent away from him.

Yeah, that's a good point because I think that production comparison wise, the guy I think of comes top of mind is Robert Woods. Like, Robert Woods is never going to be a number one, but he's consistent. He was consistent in LA for a long time before they moved on from him. You can get similar production from Michael Pittman with an upgraded quarterback in Anthony Richardson returning Colts

They are literally sitting in that seventh spot right now after with all the tiebacker tiebreakers in there, and Shane Stiken has proven I think to be a very valuable addition. Again.

Yeah, that play action seamball on fourth and one and a key spot when the Bucks are actually making I mean that took some wavos to call that, and uh, you know, Je Mersey is happy like Shane Stiken's taking all the attention away from his Twitter behavior.

So it's a great weekend for the Yes.

Stike and now that we're ask thanksgiving us those start Thanksgiving. He is a name to watch in the in the Coach of the Year race, especially if you can get this team to the playoffs.

Shookie, you have said it all. Thank you, my friend, Thank you.

And one last shout out Jonathan Taylor. Watch out for him. He's starting to build up, Whard, He's getting a little bit better. Two touchdowns today near one hundred yards. Keep watching him, all right. Another stellar appearance by Shock. Look there's a pipe. Oh hell yeah? I got to check out the YouTube all right?

Oh yeah yeah, full screen right there. The sound efects perhaps troubling, but I enjoyed the overall scene.

Thank you. Shook. Thanks guys, Let's keep rolling.

Let's go to Vegas where the Chiefs are looking to find a way.

To count get some momentum going, and they did.

Now it's third and five after having first and twenty Edwards Hilaire is in, that's the third down, back trying to get the call right. Here comes Watching in I gotta throw a crossing pattern. Caught Rice starting angling twenty five up the sideline, fifteen.

Inside the fight and touchdown Canzaw City of thirty nine.

Y'rek crossing pattern.

And then swimming up the sideline.

Rushi Rice m mitch Holt is with a call Chiefs Radio.

And we mentioned Rice in the lead up to this game that the Chiefs desperately need somebody to become a real thread in that offense beyond Travis Kelcey and Rice did the thing on Sunday eight for one oh seven, and that touchdown in a thirty one to.

Seventeen win over the Raiders.

And yes, you might say, oh, beating the Raiders with a beat up Mason Crosby nothing to you know, you know, organize a parade over And that's true.

And yet I watched this.

Game and it made me feel like the Chiefs got to win here that that they can really use as a springboard going forward, not just because that they won by two scores, but also how they did it. They fall behind fourteen nothing in this game and they are absolutely asleep at the wheel. At one point in the second quarter, the Raiders have gained over two hundred yards of offense and the Chiefs have about ten.

It was nine first downs to one.

It would have been seventeen nothing if Daniel Carson didn't shank a thirty yard field goal.

And then they just kind of got back on track like the old Chiefs.

They put up a touchdown, bing bang, another touchdown, and crucially boys after halftime, where they have bizarrely struggled this year on offense, they go right down the field their first possession for a touchdown and really seize control of the game, put the game away with that Rice touchdown late and you get that win.

You're eight and three. All things considered, with all the hand.

Ringing we did a ton of it on Sunday night last week, the Chiefs are in very good position to get where they want to be, which is the number one seed in the age.

And it was a concerning start, but I'm looking at what happened after the Raiders second touchdown and in terms of net yardage on the resulting drives, the Chiefs defense, which was awesome for part of last week, gave up thirteen yards eleven six. There was a field goal drive the thirty one, seven and nine. So it's like they put the clamps on and it's like I still trust their defense week to week to be special.

They've been great on that side. In the secondary, I don't need to see anymore. It's the offense. I'm wondering how it evolves, and I think you saw a very clear shift in strategy today until deep garbage time. Total targets for the Chiefs wide receivers ten for Rashie Rice. You've been calling for that. We we've been saying he's the guy, A combined four for everyone else. Now, obviously it's not going to be like that. In terms of

His only target, which is notable because it was of course MVS who dropped the go ahead touchdown on Sunday night against the Eagles. He's the guy, right, you know, taking him out of the mix MVS and hopefully elevating in the end. I think Isaiah Pachenko, I just like I like him as a player. I like the way

It was kind of the beginning of the end for them.

Offensively, but it was just a reminder that he is really kind of back to the dude he was last year when you watch him play. Finished with one hundred and ten, his second one hundred yard game in three weeks, and Max Crosby became the first player this season who was listed as doubtful. There had been sixty seven guys listed as doubtful. He plays in this game with a bad knee, and it's a knee injury that I believe is going to require surgery. So we're gonna see how

That's that's hopeful about Josh Jacobs, And I wonder if you still saw an uptick in terms of like the whole overall Raiders experience with the coaching situation. I know, you know results aside. This was a tough loss, but they're still hanging around. They still matter, and I felt like they didn't matter a month ago at all.

Yeah eight yards with Aiden O'Connell, I think, yeah, pretty happy.

I think Antonio Pierce has done a good job. There's a great and this is the reason you love. Crosby is a player where he got kind of knocked someone collided with his leg. He goes down in a heap and he kind of peels himself off the turf and again you could tell he's gotten through it. And Pierce sends in a substitute for Crosby, and Crosby is like, I'm not coming out of the game, and they had twelve men on the field because he refused to come out of the game. So Pierce had a call time

They came down to earth here, especially on defense.

Do you remember that doubtful used to supposed to be about a twenty five percent chance of playing. That was the idea of it, right, So if he's one in sixty seven, he's the first one. I guess that's changed. I think now it means unlikely to play. I don't know if they still do the twenty five percent thing. And if so, you know, we didn't invest gation here. We need more doubtful players to play. Bump it up to twenty five percent.

Get on that beat. That could be an off season run of episodes. Maybe we do like a seven part series.

It could be like the you know, Jordan rod rig did her you know, play Callers one.

We'll just do us.

We just got a series undoubtful.

How do we turn through like June?

That's this is how we could do a series on each of the designations Probable. What does it really mean?

It's like I saw a breaking news they come across the screen on Friday. It was like breaking news, Max Crosby will try to play. Then I was like, well, that's well, I'm not surprised by that. Of course he's gonna try. It's Max Crosby.

Can I can I offer a suggestion, Mark, because probable, what does it really mean? Kind of sounds like another episode of this guy gets It.

Actually, well, you know, there's a lot of content coming out of that corner of the universe. But I can always do for one.

It'd be nice.

All right, let's keep moving here. There was a time where Patriots v. Giants evokes some of the greatest drama football in the twenty first century.

I'm not referring to today's game, though you should not be.

The rookie is set from thirty five to tie it snap is good, kick on its way and over in it it's no good mister White laugh? Or yes, mister White laugh. So another rookie beats Bill Belichick. I said that Ryland had missed one from thirty five earlier this year.

And he misses it again.

Whoa greggy Carl Banks with the dagger there with Bob Poppa on the call Chance radio. Yeah, the rookie Chad Ryland, who was drafted in the fourth round. One of many many misses by Belichick in recent years. That was the difference in a ten to seven Giants win. Wasn't Mark Sessler? Because of course this is a game that was hyped up as being the winner is really the loser when you talk about draft standing. But the Giants seemed happy, Tommy DeVito and his family seemed happy.

And the metal ends the fans went home happy.

Tommy DeVito was by far the most enjoyable aspect to one of the more unwatchable games I've ever sat through in our corporate offices. But I will say before that kick, reg and I were talking, were like, don't you find a way to kind of miss this kick and stay in the contention for the first over.

He got to tell Ryland before the kick, you know, just just hook it.

It's like the opposite of what Belichick told out of Vittieri all those years ago, if you miss this kick, you're gone, when he was like a rookie. This time it's like, if you make this kick, you're gone.

And he shanked it his job.

By Balichick's reaction, I think this theory not too not too solid. I think he was very frustrated to see the kickery. He got rid of Nick folk for who's having a great season.

Speaking of Nick Fole, let's listen to I might have asked Eric to pull some zolac on this.

Let's listen to the sentient power raid.

Bottle snaps, Barricker holds, it is picked and it clears the line.

Right good, Well, it's no good and it Hook's left with three seconds to.

Go another one to get dissected after this, had to get rid of Nick Folk, right.

You guest, are automatic. Wow, by the way, Nick Folk had another bomb today.

You know, Nick Folk looks like he's about fifty five, but he can still kick it fifty five. And that was a decision that just so many Greg, so many Belichick decisions.

And I earlier in the season, I was on the other.

Side of it, Greg, where I thought, I think Belichick is probably gonna be safe. But the way the games are playing out now, with the farce of Mac Jones starting and getting benched after two interceptions, and then you bring in Billy Zappi and then you're blowing games with the rookie kicker you didn't need to get it all

No, And you wonder, I wonder whether that connects with like Drod Mayo, who is younger, and I don't know, is he going to bring a different approach or not to watch like these game to watch Mac Jones in this game just completely not be there. He's collapsed in on himself almost unlike any quarterback I've ever seen that's shown a high level of play at one point. I mean, this was a guy who numbers wise was like eleventh in PFF twelfth and the EPA as a rookie like

Uo.

It's total mismanagement. I can't think of a quarterback that's sort of been a like falling off a cliff like Mac Jones has from where he was, you know, midway through his rookie season, but terrible coaching around him last year. It's happening all over again. I think it matters when you have a starting quarterback and you're sending out messages through the press all week that you're gonna everyone might play.

Those are nice throws.

Though he's played, he's out playing Mac Jones and Zach Wilson to the.

You know what this is like the second he took six sacks from the Patriots. Again today, it's keeps getting you know, shredded, but he's making plays outside of it. And I give them credit for a team that has not given up on their coach.

Two QB thoughts from this game. One.

Tommy DeVito has this window and moment in time where he will be the starting quarterback of the Giants. And it's not going to happen after this year because they're going to go in a new direction or they're going to go back to Daniel Jones more than likely, But in this moment, uh, there's there's Jersey Boy undrafted player that has he will be talked about, trust me, is

I think they broke him.

I think there's so much more than just him at play here, and we know how they let him down last year.

But you're right what you.

Said about like the way they've talked about him in the media and their quarterback situation didn't don't instill any don't empower him in any way, and he's clearly playing like a young quarterback who doesn't believe in himself and the scheme and the team that he.

Played, Like where's Bill O'Brien and all this right, it hasn't improved getting rid of Patricia Hunter. Henry said he didn't know who the starter was until they ran out there. Ballichick consisted he told Mac Jones at some point before they got on the plane, but the team didn't seem to know. The most newsworthy coaching report from this game that was before it by Jake Lazer, yes, a report that he expected a mutual parting of ways between Brian Dable and Wink Martindale.

Possibly before the end of the season.

Dave All of course was asked about and said that was you know, the only thing we argue about is like who.

Gets the last lights of piece.

But it was really pointed that, like he gave Wink Martindale the game ball after this game, so it has to be the first ever game ball issued in the history of the NFL. In response to a Jay Glazer report. What's going on, Like, there's no way Wing Martindale gets that game ball unless that report gets out there. And I I one hundred percent trust Jay Glazer that he's got this thing.

Now as a fellow insider, I just got to say, I gotta respect what Jay was able to do.

Right exactly, just that there's tension there. They're just inside the build they're bickering at each other.

Whatever it is.

All right, let's take a break and then we will finish out is Sunday Slate.

All right, welcome back.

Of course, you had the three thanks Giving games, and you can check out the podcast previous to this one for our reaction to those games. There was, for the first time a Black Friday game. It was a Black Friday. Indeed, at least for my team to the meadowlands.

We go spoils act to throw looking for man rush. They're chasing them down.

Get you off towards the m drove and then it's picked off.

Oh that's gonna get interest. They haven't, and it's a good call.

At the twenty thirty, he's cutting back.

Inside forty of My New York for twenty five to twenty to the right til five pay cut play.

Jimmy Cephalo Orfalo Cephalo, Jimmy Cefalo with the call.

With Joe Rose.

I think it was Rose who pointed out this could be interesting. Yes, the Hail Mary for the Jets at the end of the half, set up by a two inner exception, Tim Boyle throws it up for grabs, it gets intercepted and then run back ninety nine yards. Just the latest indignity for the New York Jets and the latest win for the Miami Dolphins, who cruise on Black

It was two teams going in very different directions.

Yeah, I think it was the end of the third quarter.

I wrote down the stats in the box score that the Dolphins had had sixty one plays, the Jets had had twenty two. The Dolphins had had three hundred and thirty five yards, the Jets had had fifty. That says, you know, complete domination pretty much on both sides of the ball. You know, they would have had seventeen points in their first three drives the Dolphins if Tyreek Hill

It's also Jets fail Loud aren't gonna watch it right, barbit right selling their tickets because it's outrageous, and I mean, it's just we don't need it, not today. It's just like, why does it have to be like this? Why can't we just lose like regular teams? Why do we need the hail Mary pick six to add to all the other frustrations being a fan of this team for the game to kind of be remembered this way, and it's just brutal, and Tim Boyle is obviously not the answer,

Essentially, I'd be a really long answer, an answer for another day, I guess, But you know, when you look at it all and again, it's it's a little bit of everything. Whether the calls could be better, whether the execution can be better, whether our one on one battles can be better. You know, it's it's taking advantage of the situations we have. When we get him. Do I think, play caller, we'll fix that.

I don't know.

Let me hold on, like so you cannot, you cannot go into next season because this season is essentially it is over for the Jets, and it's become poisoned in every possible way. The Nathaniel Hackett question is a fair question. I think one thing I'm wat when I'm watching the Jets because there's got to be a schism in that building. If there's a schism in the Giants building. They didn't have a single drive go for over sixteen yards until

Yeah, the obvious move would be to remove the play caller, but again it's all tied to Rogers And then you see the report on Sunday and I just don't want to even we don't need to dwell too much of this, Seamon, because it's it's.

All gross and ugly.

But the Ian report this morning that Aaron Rodgers is ramping up his rehaby he could return in some for him to practice in the in the next week, and he's still targeting potentially Christmas Eve.

What are we doing? Like, who is in charge?

Because I know it's not the head coach because I listen to him and every week he gets a little more powerless.

And I don't think that GM's in charge either.

I think it is the injured quarterback that's turning forty, that brought in all these bums from Green Bay along with him, and they need to have a you know, Jesus needs to take the wheel of this team and before this turns into as embarrassing a fiasco as anything else previously, because right now I am teetering in my belief that even with healthy Aaron Rodgers, that this team right now is set up in terms of coaching and management to ever come out of the darkness.

And it is as dark as it could be right now. Oh yeah, Salas fifteen and thirty. If it continues on this path, I don't think it should be surprising if both he and Joe Douglas lose their jobs and they blow up the whole whole thing. But it depends a little bit on how the rest of.

It goes.

But they had Lazard was a healthy scratch guaranteed eleven million dollars. I guaranteed more than that for this game, which is wild to flip to the Dolphins. They lost Jalen Phillips, who, to me, along with Jalen Ramsey, is the most important player on their defense, was playing at an outrageous level. Was gonna he still will, you know, get a massive, massive contract, but that you know, torn Achilles is just a huge.

Loss because I know that a lands Turf ray.

I really thought you you saw the difference because Phillips missed. I think it was two or three games in the middle of the season. I really thought you saw a massive difference because they have a deep defensive line and Wilkins is good, but man, Phillips is the one true difference maker. And then I also think they got to be a little worried that it's It's just I said it before. It's just been a while since we saw a great to a game. He now has twenty interceptions

Say a lot, he didn't. They didn't lose all those fumbles.

But no, no, I I whoa, yeah, he doesn't lead the League in fumble recoveries, because some of those are are bad snaps and everything, but there were some like this game where it was his own fumble and he was picked off twice in the and these weren't like making excuse interceptions. These are just bad interceptions. And then they just they have a freak. They have a brain freeze on third and one and fourth and one.

It's crazy. They they just refuse to run the ball forward.

They finally did it later in this game, but they just refuse to do it and they never pick it up. They're one of the worst teams. It's so crazy. So it's just little things. They're eaten three. But these are things that they're gonna be his thinking about.

I know this is nothing new, but you see it on those throws to the outside on the pick six that he threw to Brandon Eckles and then the I that came before the hall Mary, Like, he just doesn't have great arm strength, so it's just his margin forerer is smaller and when he's.

Not sharp, you know still, and he had many great it was a tepical too, a game where like, look, he had some dimes.

And so he mixes them in He's like, you see both sides.

It's just okay, all right, let's move on and head to the desert where.

The Rams were looking feisty again.

Back to throw, Stafford lobs it left side and so cuts touchdown. Karen Williams touchdown lay. The second year tailback takes a bow after his second receiving touchdown of the day. It's fourn counting for Matthew Stafford, and now this playoff push has teeth.

Whoa JB like that?

Our dude call? Yeah? Why not?

Five and six?

Why not the Rams in the playoffs?

After Matt Stafford throws the season high four touchdown passes and Kyron Williams comes back into the lineup and is a major difference maker in this game, running for a buck forty three and also catching six passes for sixty one yards two touchdown catches thirty seven to fourteen.

The final pretty impressive, Greg.

It's against an Arizona defense which is obviously one of the worst in the league, and it has new injuries, so that is a caveat and they've owned this matchup, but it is extremely impressive to see them dominate the

Iron Williams last appeared before today against the Cardinals when we were in London and they had a scant rushing yardage in the first half. Then he exploded for one hundred and fifty eight. So in two games against the Cardinals back to back, they've allowed nearly four hundred yards to him. He's a very interesting player because it's not fluky like. He was absolutely gashing Arizona from wire to wire.

Hmm, yeah, is that true. I don't know if that's true. They haven't been turning it over. I think they've looked a little bit, but you're right, they're not. They're not lighting it up special. After that first drive where the Cardinals went right down the field, I think their next eight drives they had something like a total of eighty yards. And yeah, it's it's the rookies for the Rams. We don't need to go too long on them, but it's it's pretty crazy that they didn't. They didn't have a

That's four rookie starters. They're five and six.

This is actually, I think basically exactly what Sean McVay was hoping for out of this season. Some meaningful games in December and the rookies and and real guys we can build around.

And oh, by the way, Aaron I don't still playing at it really high.

Yeah, like this is you're right, this is what he wanted, which is this is a development year with all these young players. If we could be in contention while we're developing, and then you could build with a nice draft and free agency class next year, all of a sudden, you're back.

So yeah, so far the path there is clear for them.

They've they've done a nice job and it's just now about can you keep Stafford upright and healthy because when he is healthy and slinging it, they can score points of Villa was their first pick, thirty six overall in the second round, so you.

Know, I think they have a first round pick this year coming up, and first.

Time in like a decade, Hey doo and and Stafford who's touched down interception ratios looks so wonky all year, it's been annoying for how well he's played. It's nice to see him just put up a four spot. It's like a corrective measure. I don't know what he did in the off season, but I swear he is moving better and looks more agile and mobile than he's ever looked in his career, Like he was evading a ton of sacks and making good sort of second reaction plays today.

Love it, Love to see it.

Don't think he has an outside shot at the Hall of Fame, the Strong Final a couple of years.

I think he has a shot.

Fringy.

I think he has a decent shot. Oh sure, if I would do it, But he has a shot. Browns next week they are in the mix.

They have Browns, then Ravens. They also have the Niners on their schedule out. Oh yeah, it's gonna be.

But there's there in the mix.

There's some winnable games in there too.

You could go across the sidewalk mark for that game Brown's Rams, you know, I guess I could little four to twenty five action come back for the pod.

You could uh put on a ninety five miles Garret Jersey and put LEVI over it.

Nice little one, nice little ape.

Ah, Okay, there you go.

Well across? Why not? Right?

Yeah? What's stopping me?

Yeah?

Why wouldn't you go see the Browns? Not interested in seeing the Browns.

I'd be interested, but you know it would be the first one.

But I feel like you might be interested in seeing the brown.

I mean, but you know, if someone steals it from me on Thursday's draft, then it would that it's a problem. And I have a professional assignment to do watching you know, later other late games, right, So might it might you could prevent it.

It might be hoove you to once again take the Browns very early in the upcoming draft.

TBD a strategy to our friend Jason Zemma, who was dying as they were giving up thirty seven straightfowards in I mean, they he cares and I and I think the Cardinals fans are being tested right now.

They had a crowd.

Do you have the pulse of the Cardinals?

Well, no, but I do have a crowd shot that CBS showed in the middle of at the beginning of the fourth quarter, and wasn't that well attended for that portion of the game like they just weren't a lot of people they might hop.

It into that not for nothing, Like you know, Jonathan Gannon was brought in as a defensive coach and that defense is not developing in his first year. Let us now move to Nashville where the Titans get the woebegone Panthers.

Rice seventeen to thirty for one four on the day.

Come on, Price, do something.

But right here, three receivers to the left. Come on, Titan's showing pressure, get a cup.

Come on, throw it left side.

Chart he's hit.

He's dropped.

Now my body hooker got him, basically at the line of scrimmage, and ladies and gentlemen, this one is a minute fifty five.

I'm being over. Yes, been a minute since they had a win. So I get it.

I told you.

Then they when the color guy forgets what his job is and he just screams out some type of guttural response one of my favorite things. Yes, yes, and it was indeed a Saints excuse me, a Titans team that needed to win and stayed undefeated at home, by the way, and taking care of business here against the Panthers seventeen to ten. That one in ten Panthers and Bryce Young

The number one overall pick because they traded it. So it's like a lot of negativity and a lot of pain.

And then you see here's a tweet I believe from Joe Person who covers the Panthers after the game.

Uh, we might be we might be steaming.

Towards another episode of a Tepper b talking our new big series ready to launch. At some point the season, person reports leaving the locker room, David Tepper shook his head.

And yelled, that's not good.

Well, it's f dash dash dash, But I think, I think, and I'm sorry, Eric, but this is this is journalism.

It's the owner, the owner.

We have to assume that's the word that's being right.

It could have been a different word.

It could have been like Franngie break Franjie one of the great.

I mean, there's there's you know, oh man, there's evidence that the owner is the one that Bryce Young over anyone else too. And well, of.

Course, well yeah, and I think there's obviously a lot of that's mean to say, blame to go around, but with c. J. Strad doing what he's doing, it's just all the more frustrating. So you have all that going

Well, that was their only home loss was in London. What they have to be they have to have the worst record for any team that hasn't lost in their home stadium like entering December.

And I'll can see what a what a feat Yeah, I'll can see to you Mark that you watching Giants Pats is probably the worst game of the day. But two hundred and sixty four yards with the Titans, two fifty eight for the Panthers. This was not a game that it's going to like be sticky in my brain moving forward.

No, sure, and I've yet to examine it super closely, so I could be wrong about that. I can look forward to intee you that Patriots Giants was no treat.

I want to hear your breakdown of really what you take away from from this game.

I did read that Jeffrey Simmons was absolutely dominant.

Retackles for loss, had a sack in this game. He's great. I think that's all we need.

Yeah, do we have any Oh?

Wait, I do have an update on on Frank Wright that actually to me is more Frank, more concerning, maybe even than the owner yelling that word. Will Counkle of Fox, Yeah, real person, local Fox hust as you. I don't know, but he says he was told Frank Reich's coaching seat is quote on fire her source. Now, to be fair, Will Conkle works at Fox twenty six Houston.

He's reporting on the Panthers.

I'm sure he does a great job, but I'm right, I'm not familiar with it.

I don't know what the sourcing is on this. I don't know how we reported this.

But he is right because Frank Reich has the kind of a sad sack look on the sideline, and he was brought in to work with Bryce Young and and make him a big time player. He's shown very little progress or averaging twelve points a game in the last five weeks. And on top of everything else, it should be said, in fairness to to the young quarterback that they had injuries on the interior of the offensive line. So that's not making any easier. He does play small.

What he's doing. When he does that, it's it's like your there's you know, what's outside of an NFL locker room down in the bells of those stadiums, like tons of reporters, tons of people with eyes. It was a performative bum.

Well, that's a great point, Mark.

I think I don't know.

I would think he's just so emotional exactly he's I think he thought when he.

Took over this stuff gets out from that.

It just seems a lot, I know, but he, you know, he's just so mad about it that I don't think he wants to have I think out there.

What happens in with these CEO oligarchs and all that, Like they aren't used to failure and they think everything they take over is going to be great. Since he replaced Richardson, they've been a mess.

Yeah.

Right, It is a reminder because I frustration must be immense. I'm guilty of this too. You know Richardson, we weren't fans of it, and there was this whole idea just like, hey, David Tepper's going to come in and he's been successful and he's run business. It was like, now they've got great ownership. He's gonna get what he wants. That's what Tepper does. And it's like, actually, you're gonna do what most new NFL owners is, which is just waste your first five years with a ton of mistake favors.

My favorite Panther's trope the first couple of years in this era was Teppard knows how to close a deal.

Right.

Well, you know we're not uh still paying Matt rule.

Yeah, we are not trading on the open stock market. We are not absorbing other businesses and hostile takeovers.

We're trying to lift Lombardies a little different, all right. To Sunday ef football.

He sends Zay Flowers wide to the right. Cowie brings flowers in motion to the left. He gives them the flowers on the jet sweet.

He cuts himself the numbers.

Piece of the herby turn turn burn touch.

Jase is in the barn. I'm a raven knock out.

The Chargers in away, I love it, I love it. Jaz is in the barn.

Jerry Sandusky with the call yes Zay Flowers in a third and short scenario that just need the first down, but Zay saw daylight and he took advantage of it, taking it to the house his second touchdown of the game. That was from thirty seven yards out, and it was the decider in a Ravens twenty to ten win over the Chargers. The Chargers all but dead now at four and seven after another lackluster primetime performance in the Ravens nine to three sit a top the AFC with six

Yeah, I feel for Mark.

We were trying to avoid the traffic and he got stuck in the Hollywood Christmas parade.

So from moving to Hollywood, which is you know, your whole life is traffic when you live in that.

Part of the city.

I'm I'm sure he's feeling like Chargers fans right now, like we just went through this whole experience to just end in such an incredibly frustrating and yet familiar way. Like the Chargers, they find ways to lose games in new and creative ways in this Ravens team, even though they're gonna come out of this, and you could hear it in Lamar Jackson's voice after the game, very frustrated

Yeah, And Jason Garrett said it on the telecast, weirdly,

But that's really the offense.

And that's part of the problem with this team is that they lost Mike Williams, and Quinton Johnson has been a bust in his first year, and and Eckler hasn't been the same player this year, and Herbert has not been able to lift the offense.

With the cast that he has.

He averaged less than five yards attempt in this game, had a costly sack fumble late that obviously you know he was beat up on the play as well, and he's been taking a beating at times this year. It's just been very frustrating for this Chargers offense, which was supposed to be better with Kellen Moore this year, but I just haven't seen that.

No Quinton Johnson has kind of killed them because after Williams's injury and Josh Palmer's injury, that's their two and their three, and Palmer was a really good three. They just needed him to step up. I think he would have been benched if they had any other options. And in this game, like he has the two killer drops and then he gets hurt unfortunately, and look, Herbert like

Yeah, I mean it was fourteen catches on sixteen targets for a while. Was the receptions were echoing the targets until late in the fourth quarter. But also, you know, and this is not taking away from Allen, but he is the greatest chain mover in the game right now. He's not a dynamic downfield player. He averaged seven and a half yards of reception. He got one hundred and

Oh it's the rain maker.

That's right.

All you boys and girls, get your ad Ben Calendar's out and start unwrapping Greg the say flowers, thank you very much for not going down at the one yard line. That would have been a tough way to go out.

Greg, you are living the most charmed existence this season.

I must say I envy you. It's high level envy.

Justin Tucker misses a automatic kick for him to keep it the spreads three and a half.

He missed it up, by the way, too.

We locked this up too. He locked it up as well. He misses the kick.

The Chargers take over fail as they do, and then it is comes down to what looks like to be a thirteen to ten win if they just pick up the first down, and yes they not.

Only does he get the first down on third and short, he doesn't go down because he wanted to do his penalty kick celebration and that gets Greg the rain Maker lock up.

I just I'm just so jealous of you, Greg. Everything you touch turns the gold this season.

Stop. I mean, damn, that's a record with a pick this year.

Well that was a lock. That is eleven and one.

As I've said, luck is luck is the most important, you know ingredient to all this.

This one was, especially on the Rainmaker side of things, really yes, you know, everything is kind of clicking in on Rosenveal Boulevard this season.

Well, when they got the stop on Herber and you know when when the charters are going, I'm feeling so many emotions here because yes, I want all the children, especially overseas, you know, our Scottish listeners all the Yeah, I want them and their kids to the Scottish listeners have to do with this. Well, they're just they're they're big. They love they love Saint Nick, they love the Rainmaker. I don't know, I uh, I was thinking, you know, I'm torn because I kind of want to see a

Yeah, Keith Mitchell deserves more touches than he's got. He got nine in this game and he turned it into sixty four yards. I just think every time he touches the ball he makes their offense better. And you are right about to Damian Clowney. I mean, he looked five years younger, and I know it probably annoys Browns fans

Well, they take other people's players and they make them better, like pat Rokwan. Smith is just outrageous how good he's playing. You get Clowney, van Noy's making plays. I mean Hamilton that that was their own pick. But when he made a big play early in the game, I think it was on Eckler and then did the the too small celebration Dan, which you know felt personal to Eckler, you know, not the not the tallest guy.

It's been a tough year for Austin Eckler. That's seven and a half sacks for Clowney. I've been tracking very closely for over a decade. Will you ever get to ten? Maybe this year this could be it.

Might you might get a Super Bowl ring here, this team is nine and three. It's it's why I when you ask me who's the one seed, you know is the Jaguars early in the day, and then there was the Chiefs at midday. And as I was saying, I was like, is this going to be dated? Well, no, because you listened all the way to the end and now the Ravens are the one seed.

In the It changed hands three times today four yeah.

Yeah, because the Dolphins had I think it started with the Dolphins went to the Jags, went to the Chiefs.

Now it's the Ravens.

One last thing I missed it before, but I wanted to let you know in the Cadence rankings, I know you're your top ten at the end of the year. I want you to keep your eye on Titans quarterback Will Levis, who has a throaty, aggressive, masculine Cadence call and it's something that warrants close eye as his career continues to unfold.

Looking forward to it.

That's why we got to finish this so I can dive into that tape. What what a what a transition that's like the rot the farm to rogers of Cadences. Because Tannehill is one of the one of the greats of his generation.

YEP, I don't think it's a coincidence. All right, that's it.

We're assuming Mark will get back to his home by Ian Mark.

I feel for you, buddy, because I don't not that he's going to listen to this, but I know how frustrated he probably is sitting in that traffic.

I got curiously, I got a lot of like panicked, angry texts about it, but it wasn't the three of us.

So maybe he's he's afraid of you. So maybe you guys have to talk about that.

Why Why would have you afraid of me?

This is one where yeah, it's that that is not on him.

Mark will be back with us on Monday when we have our NFL Plus Game of the Week Eagles Bill, so make sure you check that out, and also Monday Night Football when we wrap up the week with Bears Vikings.

Till then, you know what you must do, heed the call.